A/N: Even if it's a day late, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, Happy Holidays if you celebrate anything else, and hope you enjoy! Reviews are much appreciated!
It wasn't long before he was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room. He slammed into the back wall, getting into a crouched position to scan for threats.
That was before he realized why he'd been thrown in the first place. Ruby had been trying to wake him up, and he punched her for it.
He could see them both now, Ruby on the ground with her eyes watering and Yang standing in a guarding position, anger in her red eyes. Yet, despite the rage, she was clearly holding back, seeming to hold somewhat of an understanding of the situation.
For the third time in two days, they had the entire first year populace staring at them. Jaune was seriously getting sick of his reflexes: most of the time, they did nothing more than get in the way. How are you supposed to be a swordsman with the reflexes of a kick boxer?
Knowing he could do nothing else, he muttered a small "s-s-sorry" like he did to the kid that punched him and skated away. If he had stayed longer, he would've seen a black haired boy hugging a small crying ginger like his life depended on it.
He had a destination in mind: Team CFVY's dorm. He always went there in the mornings to freshen up, as well as simply chat with the team. Him and Velvet got along especially well, since they were the shyer ones of the group, but he never objected to any conversations with Coco and Fox, as well as chess games with Yatsu.
Today, however, was not a time for messing around. This was initiation day, and if he messed up, who knows what could happen to him.
Calm down, stupid brain. You're being paranoid again.
In his paranoid and terrified state of mind, he failed to notice that he'd already made it to the dorm. He swiped his scroll (Ozpin had given him access to the room with Coco's permission) and walked into the room.
Velvet was the only one there; he assumed the others had gone to breakfast. The hug that she gave when he walked in was not unwelcome, and was returned immediately. The way the two acted often made people think they were dating, but they had simply been able to bond over their shared love of never talking about their pasts.
Any mention of the White Fang was immediately shut down by both of them, violently if necessary.
They pulled away so Velvet could pull him to her bed, both of them sitting on it. "Well, Jaune, how was your first day?"
Jaune could only groan as the memories of last night replayed in his head. "Not good. Not good at all."
"Really? What happened?"
"Well, it started off well enough. I ran into Ruby and got to know her a little better. But things got bad last night. See, Ruby has a sister, and... she tried to hit on me."
Velvet only nodded, remembering full well what happens when you hit on Jaune.
"So what's your name, cutie?"
Her team and the new kid were sitting in their dorm room. Everyone doing their own thing, with Fox and Yatsu playing a chess game between their beds, the new guy simply standing in the middle of the room, while Coco and Velvet were gossiping. Gossiping was a guilty pleasure of hers, and with Coco as a leader she could never get enough.
She noticed how the blonde boy flinched at being called cutie, but simply dismissed it as being flustered. Coco tended to tease unsuspecting boys, leading to many times where seemingly confident "womanizers" turned into blushing stuttering messes. "My name's J-jaune. You're C-coco?"
"That would be me. So, Ozpin wants us to get close to you. Any reason why?"
Jaune very noticeably gulped. "N-no, I'm just not the b-best at making friends."
Coco laughed. "Ah, so you're another socially awkward one? Well, don't worry. A few days with me and you'll be another gossiping socialite like Velv here." Coco grabbed her and gave her a noogie, something that felt surprisingly good for her ears.
A rumble echoed throughout the room as Yatsu and Fox both grabbed their stomachs, both of their faces turning a bright red. "Well, I say we get lunch first before we torture the kid."
Wrong choice of words.
He tackled Fox off of his bed before anyone could react. Just as quickly, Fox had a sword held at his throat with the terrified Jaune cowering behind him. The fact that he was fast enough to get all of them off guard scared them to say the least.
Luckily, despite having a sword at his throat, Fox was still fast enough to realize what freaked Jaune out so much. "Dude, when I said torture, I didn't actually mean it. It was sarcasm."
Jaune noticeably relaxed, but didn't let go of the sword. "S-sarcasm?" Velvet noticed that the way he said it sounded like he'd never said it before. "W-what does that m-mean?"
Coco gave out a laugh that sounded more like a bird screeching when he said that. "Dude, how do you not know what sarcasm is?" Her laughter ended when Jaune gave her a glare that truly personified "if looks could kill". "Alright, jeez. It's when you say something you don't really mean."
Jaune finally let his sword fall, letting the oddly calm Fox and Yatsu walk out of the room with no words needed, but he kept his glare. "So, like a lie?"
Velvet took the initiative this time. "In a sense, but sarcasm is mostly for humor, not to tell a lie. He was making a joke about Coco's... methods of interaction."
He was clearly still confused, but he decided to drop it. He sheathed his sword and opened the door."I t-think I understand. C-can we go to lunch, n-now?"
Jaune's first mistake was turning towards the door and showing his back to Coco. His second was having a stutter that Coco found absolutely adorable. His third was waiting at the door like gentleman, holding the door open for them.
It was all too much for Coco to resist, and as they walked into the hallway, she took her chance. "Wow, for someone so awkward, you really are a gentleman aren't you?" And she spanked him.
The amount of pure killing intent that radiated in the hallway in that single instance was enough to make Velvet retreat right back into the room, only poking her head out to see what had happened.
For the second time in around 45 seconds, Jaune had taken a hostage. Instead of using his sword though, he had pinned Coco to the wall by her neck with one of his skates. The wheels were pressed against her neck, and with her feet stuck off the ground, she had no leverage to try to fight back.
The awkwardness that followed made Jaune explain why he always reacted so strongly to sarcasm and flirting, as well as why Ozpin wanted them to get close. Needless to say, him and Velvet had hugged for about six hours after that, and even Coco knew not to do anything like take pictures for blackmail.
"On top of that, I thought I recognized someone in the ballroom, so I screamed at them and ran out and everyone saw it and now they think I'm a coward-"
"Jaune." It was pretty easy to see when he was going into one of his terrified rants, where he would:
A.) Assume the worst in people,
B.) Assume that people assumed the worst in him,
And C.) Go into the bathroom to cut himself.
They had learned quickly that trying to stop the third thing was not gonna work, no matter how hard they tried. Not even Weiss could stop him.
"They might think you're a little bit weird, but everyone's weird in some way or another. Besides, since when have you cared about opinions from people you don't know?"
That was true. Jaune, when he wasn't terrified out of his mind, had a very strong "fuck the world" mentality. After all, what had the world done for him that made it worthy of his attention?
"You're not wrong, but there's a big difference between people I don't know and people I might be stuck with for four years."
"Well, if they don't like you, that's their issue. Besides, if your team is undesirable, CFVY is always here for you, no matter what."
It was the same words she had used to comfort him every time he got nervous about this, but it always worked. It was always more of a reminder than anything else, but it was one that he needed. Simply knowing that people will actually stand by him was enough.
He nodded his thanks, knowing that he couldn't word how grateful he was.
"So how did the makeup work?"
That reminded him why he came in here in the first place. He took the makeup container out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Worked like a charm. My scars were invisible."
Velvet took the makeup and walked over to her dresser, pulling his clothes out of the top drawer and throwing them to him. "The bathrooms open. You can wipe it off there."
"Thanks Velv. I'll be quick."
Wiping the makeup off his arms was routine, as was getting his pants past his skates, and before he knew it he was dressed and ready to go. Luckily, he didn't wear any armor, so that eliminated a lot of time.
Velvet had given him a check: his bracers were in the right place and his beanie didn't look out of the ordinary. There was nothing that they could do about his scent except hope that no one was a Faunus: the burns would definitely draw unwanted attention.
As far as he knew, the black haired girl (How the fuck did I forget to get her name?) had no intention of outing either of them, so he felt safe enough, but there were still too many unknowns for his liking.
Velvet could clearly see his discomfort, but could also see that he didn't want to talk anymore. It wasn't that he was too prideful (the exact opposite actually), it was that he was too afraid to take anything she said seriously.
That's not even mentioning the way his stomach was growling. He desperately needed breakfast.
Since his pep talk with Velvet had brought his spirits back up again, he was back in his usual routine of gliding through the halls instead of collapsing in on himself. Everyone he passed gave him an enthusiastic wave when they recognized him, which he returned with childlike glee in his eyes.
Being in his element was a feeling that had no equal. Skating had absolutely become his favorite thing over the past year once he could do it for fun. The feel of the wind blowing past his face, the adrenaline when he messed up and had to correct it, everything about it was amazing.
Of course, just like every other time, it was over too quickly with how fast he made it into the dining hall.
If Nora hadn't been concerned for the blonde, she definitely was today.
Some would call this obsession, but it truthfully was nothing more than sad concern. Of course, you wouldn't be able to tell with how energetic she was. "Ren, maybe there's someone else like me!"
"Nora, that's not something to get excited about."
Nora jabbed a finger in Ren's face, anger in her eyes. "I know that, Ren!" And just like that, the radiant smile was back on her face. "But think about it! I haven't seen another one in ages, Renny! Oh, there he is!"
True to her word, the boy was walking in the dining hall, headphones in his ears and a smile on his face. They both watched as he skated over to the line (cutting in front of all the upperclassmen, though they didn't seem to question it) and was handed a plate and a cup by the chef. The plate had three pancakes on it with a massive amount of syrup, while the cup was filled with coffee based on the steam.
The boy and the chef talked for a little while, unheard by both of them, before the boy nodded his thanks and skated away. He made it around 50 feet before someone blocked his path and flipped the cup.
Coffee spilled all over him, while the assailant merely laughed and sat back down, being high-fived by three other boys. The upperclassmen were all laughing too, which made both of them angry, before Nora read one of their lips.
"Does he really think he'll get away with that?"
Realization:
They're laughing at the assailant.
After seeing that, she snapped her eyes back to the boy, who simply stood there with coffee pouring down himself, not moving a muscle, before he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I guess I'm not that hungry."
With the attention of the entire dining hall, he walked over to the bully's table and stood on it. All four of the people sitting there were shocked, but the upperclassmen seemed to treat it like it was an everyday thing. He held the cup of what used to be coffee in front of him. "You know, if you're gonna be an ass, at the very least be good at it."
He tipped the cup over himself, managing to spill even more coffee on himself, before putting the cup down and showing off the plate of pancakes. "I know that whenever I want to be an asshole, I'm efficient. That's what makes me better. You managed to not spill everything on me, but me?" He threw the plate on the other boy's head.
The plate shattered on impact with the boy's skull, causing pain, but what really perfected the moment was the pancakes. The syrup had clearly had time to sit, making the soggy pancakes completely fall apart the moment they made contact. The bully was now covered in chunks of pancake, with syrup running down his head. He looked absolutely disgusted.
"If you're gonna be a dick, get better."
With that final piece said, he jumped from the table and skated from the room.
The first years all looked surprised by everything that had just gone down, but the older kids seemed to shrug it off like nothing had even happened. There was only one conclusion Nora could draw.
He must have been here for a while if they're used to this.
Nora wouldn't have been surprised at all to hear that he had grown up inside Beacon. With an eccentric man like Ozpin as Headmaster, anything could happen, including a kid being raised inside a Huntsman training academy. She turned to Ren to try to tell him her theory, but froze when she saw his face.
Ren looked terrified.
He was never a person to let any emotion show, but she'd long since learned the subtle things to look for. This time, though, he'd given up all attempts to stay stoic. He looked pale as a sheet, sweat pouring from his forehead, breathing heavily. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought he was having a panic attack. All the while, he was mumbling the same thing over and over:
"Red eyes, red eyes, red eyes..."
"Dude, that was awesome! The look on his face was absolutely priceless!" Coco's familiar laughing voice rang through his scroll. His little stunt in the dining hall had been recorded by none other than the fashionista herself, quickly spread through the academy to anyone who wasn't there. He'd already gotten around 16 texts from other students, so all in all today was going pretty great.
And based on the way his scroll got a message that wasn't from a Beacon student, it would only get better.
"Hey dude. Ash was sick today, but we managed to get the song done anyway. Did you know Mikey could drum?"
Jaune could only smile. These four never ceased to make him laugh. It was one of the reasons he actually trusted them.
"Was it not obvious? He never shuts up about how better Ash could be. It's constant."
"You guys know I'm in this chat too, right?"
"Shut it, Mike. Jaune's right and you know it."
"HIS TECHNIQUE IS AWFUL, CALUM!"
"Yet here I am, still the drummer while you're playing guitar. Suck on that."
He had to turn off his messages then, but that short talk had it's effect. He already felt ridiculously happier then he did that morning.
And that was before he played the song. He thanked whatever god existed whenever someone managed to actually managed their recording studios without him. It gave him a break, and a new song. If only people would actually pay attention when he told them how to record their songs.
He extended his headphones from their collapsed form, connected them to his scroll, and listened to the song. Hearing the correct guitar intro filled him with confidence, and he wasn't let down.
5 Seconds of Summer: Lost boy
I can't remember the last time I saw your face
I feel so lonely when I'm in a crowded space
You left me without direction
'Cause I've gone from place to place trying to bring you back
I've walked for days and days cause I can't face the fact
That nothing is better than you
I'm coming because I need to find you
Is anybody there who can rescue
Somebody like me 'cos I'm just waiting
For somebody like you, somebody like you
Without you I'm a lost boy
Without you I'm a lost boy
Come find me I'm a lost boy
'Cause without you I'm a lost boy
He'd entered the locker room by this point, and saw Ruby and Yang talking before they looked at him. Yang walked over to him, but he couldn't be interrupted now. He held up his hand to stop her in her tracks.
"Not your fault, new 5sos song, can't talk."
He skated away, not seeing the plethora of emotions that crossed Yang's face, though it was mostly anger. He also didn't notice the way two of the students saw him coming and avoided him like the plague.
I can't remember the last time I heard your voice
I'm sat in silence, living in a world of noise
'Cause you were perfection
'Cause I've been from place to place trying to bring you back
I've walked for days and days 'cause I can't face the fact
That nothing is better than you
He finally made it to his locker, opening it up for his weapons. He gave his sword a long look like usual, then grabbed it and hooked it onto his pants. He also couldn't help but look at the two pictures on his door, showing the two people from his life he actually cared about. Both drawn from scratch since he didn't actually have any pictures of them, but he couldn't even tell the difference.
I'm coming because I need to find you
Is anybody there who can rescue
Somebody like me 'cos I'm just waiting
For somebody like you, somebody like you
Without you I'm a lost boy
Without you I'm a lost boy
Come find me I'm a lost boy
'Cause without you I'm a lost boy
He backed away from his locker, ready to head to the cliffs, but that journey came to an abrupt end when he immediately ran into someone's backside.
While the other person managed to stay standing, Jaune fell like a sack of potatoes right onto his ass. His headphones came unplugged, pausing the song, and he was about to apologize when he looked at the person he ran into.
Red hair, green eyes, the familiar beautiful smile...
Kate?
She looked just like his nightmare.
He was too stunned to do anything more than sit there, looking at her with a hope in his eyes that probably looked more than a little creepy. Only hearing her say "Sorry!" made him realize that not only was Kate not there, but he was still staring. He stood back up, the skates not hindering him.
"D-don't apologize. It was m-my fault." He started to skate away, but someone grabbed his arm. If it were anyone else, he would've snapped their wrist, but he recognized that small but firm grip anywhere.
"That's all you have to say? Do you realize who you're talking to?" The shrill voice of Weiss Schnee made him smile, even if it didn't make sense to anyone else. He turned to look her in the eyes, noting with amusement that she'd styled her hair to hide her scar. It was always a point of shame for her, something he could definitely understand.
Simply looking at Weiss was enough to give him enough confidence to talk without stuttering. "Not in the slightest, snow angel." She hated that nickname. He loved the way her face scrunched up in annoyance.
"This is Pyrrha Nikos", she said, gesturing to the girl he presumed was Pyrrha. She merely smiled and waved, but literally anyone with a brain could see how forced it was.
"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha. I'm Jaune." He held his hand out towards her. She shook it, her smile slowly starting to become more genuine.
"Likewise."
Jaune could see Weiss's face get redder and redder the angrier she acted. "She graduated top of her class at Sanctum."
"That'd be cool if I knew what Sanctum was."
"She won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times in a row! A new record!"
"Again, sounds cool, but I don't know what that is."
Now, Jaune would swear that steam was coming out of her ears. "She's on the cover of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmellow Flakes box!"
Jaune scoffed. "Diabetes in a box."
Weiss scoffed right back at him. "So you're saying that after all of that, you still think you're worthy of being her partner or friend?"
Letting his goofy side out for a change, he got on his knees in front of Pyrrha and started bowing. "I am not worthy of you, my Queen! I beg of you, on hands and knees, to find it in your humble heart to forgive this lowly peasant for believing himself worthy of your majestic presence!"
Pyrrha couldn't control herself any longer, and let out a giggle that sounded truly angelic. What was even better was she went along with it. "O peasant, stand up. You have been forgiven for your error, but I advise you to prevent this from occurring again. I may not be as forgiving."
Jaune looked up and made eye contact with her, which was all he could do before they both started laughing. He managed to stand up despite his stomach hurting so much he was bent over, and looked back to Weiss, who looked nothing more than flabbergasted.
"Grimm don't care if you're royalty or homeless. You're just as screwed." He started walking away, but smiled back at Pyrrha. "It was nice to meet you Pyrrha!" She waved back, and he could see that the smile on her face had become genuine. A celebrity that doesn't like her fame. That's new.
He plugged his headphones back in, finishing the song based on the Ice Queen he'd laughed at not ten seconds ago.
Come find me (x16)
Without you I'm a lost boy
Without you I'm a lost boy
Come find me I'm a lost boy
'Cause without you I'm a lost boy
I'm coming because I need to find you
Is anybody there who can rescue
Somebody like me 'cos I'm just waiting
For somebody like you, somebody like you
'Cause without you I'm a lost boy
Weiss, where would I be without you?
Knowing that he needed time alone with her, he texted Glynda on his way.
"I need you to postpone initiation."
Her response was instant and unquestioning. "How long?"
"Five minutes max. It's just another song."
Immediately, Glynda's voice rang through the building. "Students, due to an unforeseen circumstance, initiation will be briefly postponed. Use this extra time wisely and be ready to report to the cliffs."
"Thanks Glynda." He also sent a text to Weiss. "That was me. Meet me at the cliffs."
"See you there, Jaune."
Due to his high speed, he'd already gone most of the distance to the cliffs. The sight of Ozpin standing there with the mug of coffee that seemed glued to his hand most of the time was certainly a sight for sore eyes. Unfortunately, he had something to say.
"Hey Oz!" He turned around, giving Jaune his full attention. "What the hell were you thinking with that White Fang assassin?!"
Ozpin was not surprised that this was the first thing he was asked. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Jaune. She showed that she wanted to redeem herself for her actions. Her reaction when I mentioned the Fall of Menagerie showed just as much. Believe me when I say that if she ever steps over the line, I'll handle it."
Jaune sighed, not happy with the answer but knowing he wasn't going to hear anything else. "Fine. But if she ever shows even a hint of betrayal, I'm getting her head on a plate." Ozpin wasn't even fazed by the brutal threat. He'd heard much worse from him and others. "But first, wanna record a song?"
The transformation was incredible. Just a few seconds ago, Jaune looked like a villain plotting world domination, and now he was practically bouncing up and down with his hands in front of his face, a childlike innocence you'd never expect from him emanating straight out of his wide eyes.
Weiss's voice from behind him snapped him out of it. "Why am I not surprised that's why you called me out here?"
Jaune turned around, stars in his eyes, before rocketing forward and crushing Weiss in a hug. She was too used to this to let it catch her off guard, though, and returned the hug with equal strength.
"Jeez Jaune, missed you too. Now can you stop choking me?" She could feel the breath slowly but surely leaving her body, only showing the strength of Jaune's hugs. He laughed before pulling away, letting them lock eyes, before he hugged her again, much gentler this time around.
"It's good to see you again, Weiss."
The scene was heartwarming to Ozpin. There were few people that made Jaune smile, so seeing such a genuine smile on his face always made him happier. However, there was an initiation to have, so he cleared his throat to get their attention. "I believe there was a song you wanted to record?"
Jaune snapped back around, realization coating his face. "Oh, yeah! I've been wondering for a while what 'Welcome to my Life' would sound like with just acoustic, so I kinda need you guys to be my backup?" The end was posed as a question, clearly asking them rather than telling them.
Ozpin chuckled, nodding his agreement. He could see Weiss nodding as well, making Jaune's smile threaten to break his jaw off with how big it was.
This was something they'd done multiple times, so no words needed to be said as they took their places on the cliff side, Ozpin sitting to Jaune's right and Weiss to his left. He didn't even need to ask for sheet music, since Jaune had already unfolded it from his pocket and handed it off; Weiss was experienced enough to figure out what he wanted on instinct.
Jaune pulled out his scroll and opened the app he used to record music. With the guitar prerecorded, he timed his entrance and started singing.
Simple Plan: Welcome to my Life (Acoustic)
Jaune:
Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place,
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you?
Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you're screaming?
Jaune + Weiss:
No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
Jaune + Ozpin:
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding
Jaune + Weiss
No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
All three:
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Jaune + Weiss
No one ever lied straight to your face
And no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay
Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there
You don't know what it's like, what it's like
Jaune:
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
Jaune + Weiss
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like (What it's like)
All three:
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Glynda watched the whole song being sung, and she could safely say it was one of the nicest moments she'd ever seen. Seeing Ozpin in such a position, singing a song with two of his students, was a rare sight that truly melted her heart. Most people considered Ozpin to be larger than life, so seeing something like this was one of the few moments that humanized him.
It was rare to see the strict disciplinarian give such a genuine smile, and yet there it was.
Unfortunately, she'd only given him five minutes, and she'd already had to send the message to the other initiates to come to the cliffs. They were running out of time.
"As heartwarming as this scene is," she said to gain their attention, "we have to have our initiation today. I'd advise you to split up if you wish the others to not see this."
They all nodded and stood up to walk to their stations. Jaune wasn't gonna let that happen just yet, though, as he wrapped the two of them in side hugs at the same time. He was quick this time, only hugging for a couple seconds, before he let them go and walked to his own plate.
Just in time for the other initiates to become visable in the distance, ready to begin their four year adventure at Beacon